10-39. Training

Satou's here. A scalpel can't dismantle a tuna no matter how sharp it is. Something with suitable length and size is needed even if it's less sharp.

◇

"Tou nanodesu!"

With her small body, Pochi charges toward a monster that's as huge as a two-story house. Pochi and the others are currently fighting the strongest monster in this area, the level 39 Mace Lizard. The figure of Pochi who's charging to the bump on the monster's head which has countless thorns on it looks like a hero.

Even though Pochi's short magic sword pierces the Mace Lizard's head to the sword's base, it doesn't looks like it has any effect. The Mace Lizard shakes its huge head, throwing Pochi away to the corner of the room.

"Having a large head means that you are wise is just an urban legend, so I inform!"
"Arisa, reinforcement magic. Mia, break open its mouth."
"Nn."
"Okkey."

The Mace Lizard who was going to pursue Pochi with a tail attack was lured by Nana's provocation and then changed its course.

Mia's new magic, Balloon Shot wrenches open the Mace Lizard's mouth. This magic consumes more magic power than its original, [Balloon], but since it creates the needed water by itself, it's convenient to use. It's a spell that I've created by Mia's request recently.

"Here comes the reinforcement~"
"Thank you."

Arisa's reinforcement magic gives more power to Liza. Responding to boiling power from her body, Liza shouts out the technique name together with fighting-spirit-filled yell. The shout is unnecessary, but Liza always shouts after she receives reinforcement magic, maybe because her tension is raised.

"Flickering Spiral Spear Attack"

The red light that leaks out of the magic spear wraps Liza's whole body. Her figure runs through 10 meters in an instant with a boom sound as if it's cutting the air. The magic spear and her whole body, which becomes like one with the weapon, ran through the Mace Lizard's body.

It's an absurd technique.

"Amazing~?"
"As expected of Liza-san."
"Affirmative. Her attack is valorous, so I said."

Pochi who has been covered in spiderwebs totteringly comes back, I clean her with life magic.

"Thank you for your hard work too Pochi."
"Master, I'd like a bigger weapon nodesu."

Unusual for her, Pochi was being selfish, or rather, demanding for once. Actually, situations where Pochi's and Tama's weapons cannot penetrate through the outer skin of enemies that are level 35 and beyond have increasingly come up. I've actually began making new weapons for the two since yesterday, but as expected, it can't be finished in one night.

I try taking out various weapons from my storage.

"Do you want to try using a normal long sword?"
"Lots~?"
"Big weapons nanodesu!"

With sparkles on her eyes, Pochi tries to wield and feel the one-handed sword, the bastard sword, the great sword, the great hammer, and the halberd I've taken out. She can pick up every weapon effortlessly, but since her own body weight is light, it doesn't seem like Pochi can deal the inertia well when she swings them no matter what.

"Master~? Put out one more~"

Since Tama asked me to take out another great hammer like she was holding, I took it out. Although the hammer is lighter compared to the mithril alloy great hammer in the dwarf hometown, it's easily heavier than Tama's weight.

"Look look~ Spinning top~?"

Tama who's holding great hammers on both her hands spins them like a spinning top. I tend to forget since Tama's physical power loses to Liza and Pochi, but it's also quite high. Arisa and Lulu mutter [Tama is koma] while having their shoulders twitching. That seem to be the vital part. I guess it can't be helped since they're at the age where they can laugh at the most trivial thing.<TLN: koma=spinning top.>

"Uuu, unsteady nodesu."

Looks like Pochi wants to use a long weapon like a halberd as if it's a great sword, and then she attaches a heavy weight on her body to keep the balance.

"It's not unsteady anymore, but it's heavy I can't move nodesu."

I guess the weight is too much. Even while saying that it's too heavy, Pochi moves while dragging the weight.

"Uu~n, I guess I really should finish making the type of swords that can create the blade from nature magic."

Their weapons need replacement, but there's also the problem of everyone's skill's variations which have stopped since level 20 and beyond. The rear guards are already fine as they are, but I feel that the vanguards need to add a bit more technique-type skill to their repertoires.

"Why don't we go back to the elf village to learn new techniques while waiting for the completion of the weapons?"
"Training right! It's the training arc right!"

When Arisa hears it, her eyes are shining--you don't need to deliberately use light magic to add those effects. Just how far her acting styles have expanded.

It seems the one that's positive to it isn't only Arisa. Liza and Nana who are worried about their fighting time that has been extending with every fight recently also agrees to it.

"Hitting the waterfall~?"
"Marching through the snowy mountain nanodesu!"

Pochi and Tama also look eager, although the direction is a bit off.

"The elf hometown is alright, but I'd love to train at the sennin's place or the mountain where dragonkins live~"

While ignoring Arisa's nonsense, I've decided to go to the elf hometown.

◇

"You cheatttt!"

How rude.

We've got back to Boruenan forest by return teleporting five times in a row. Unlike the advanced magic Teleport, Return teleport is limited to 300 kilometers long, so we can't arrive in one go. Therefore, it's quite hard. The magic power consumption increases with the number of people, so it needs around one meteor shower worth of magic power.

Lua-san welcomed us with surprised face in the tree house on the surface Boruenan. Apparently, she had come here to check the rooms ventilations. She had already gotten used to me coming here with teleport though, she immediately greeted me back normally after I greeted her.

"Hello, Satou-san, there are a lot of people today huh."
"I'm thinking of letting everyone train, so we'll be staying here for a while."
"Yes, you're welcome anytime."

Behind me, Arisa sharply catches Lua-san's word, and says "Today?", but I ignore it. I must not react. I have to magnificently ignore it like a flowing river.

"Yes, I will call Poa and the others. Oh right, Nea said that she had succeeded extracting the vanilla."
"Yes, I've heard that one from Aze-san with Telephone yesterday."

This time Arisa and Lulu check the yesterday's schedule. Un, your memories are correct. We certainly fought monsters in the labyrinth in succession for the whole day, and I was making magic tools behind them during the time I'm free. I developed that magic tool in order to contact the slaves in the distant land. Since they don't have any way to communicate if an emergency happens.

"STOP! Jasuto a Momento."

Why in English.

"What?"
"Question #1, why was it 『Today』?"
"Ara, Satou-san came here almost every other day you know."

Lua-san revealed it without even giving me the chance to explain somehow. Even though I had only come back 7-8 times since we went to the labyrinth city.

"Since when..."
"Mwu."

Lulu and Mia look at me with upturned eyes like criticizing me.

"Whenever I found some delicious ingredients, or unusual dishes, I came back here to share them."

This is the truth. Like with Gebo, or Yellow Lizard meat, or Basilisk smoked meat, I came back to bring them. I also came to Nea-san's place when she wanted to consult about the way to extract vanilla. By no means those were just because I wanted to meet Aze-san.

"Hohou? And by Telephone?"
"Huh? Haven't I said it? My telephone and Aze-san's Infinite Telephone (World Phone) can have a conversation between the labyrinth city and Boruenan Forest."

Never heard of it, Arisa and others pressed on me.
I mean, there would be [Guilty] barrage if I said it right?

Looks like Lua-san perceives the awkward atmosphere, she changes the story.

"Oh right, there are the bean from the spriggans in the refrigerated warehouse, please check it okay. "
"They've already delivered it huh, I'll check it, thank you very much."
"By beans, don't tell me!?"

Fu, fu, fu. I had asked the spriggans who were good at exploring to search every corners of Boruenan forest.

"Let's enjoy it later. I'm going to serve it for the dinner today, so don't overeat okay."
"That has come at last! Ah, would the dinner come faster. Hey, do you have something like an incense that can cheat time?"
"None."

I understand that you can't wait for it, but I don't think that's an item that warrants the need to hasten time.

◇

I was going back to the mansion of ivy to develop the new equipments for Pochi and the others while leaving everyone in Boruenan forest, but Mia told me to wait.

"Level gap, close."
"Um~m? You want to go to the labyrinth since you want to close the level gap between you, and Arisa and the others, is it?"
"Nn."

Presently, everyone besides Mia is level 35, Mia is level 27. According to Arisa, it seems that elves need twice as much experience points compared to humans and beastkins.

"Understood, then let's raise it quickly."
"Nn."

I go to the labyrinth city with Mia. I felt like I heard Arisa said, "Quickly he said", just before teleporting, I decided that I had just misheard it.